Customers asking (insisting) you sign for things?

postmanzach · Post by **postmanzach** » 23 Dec 2018, 23:09

Natagora wrote:If it’s an agreement between customer and postman, and the postman is 100% sure that the item is going to the correct address, then fine, just post it through. Being on a round for some time gives you the chance to strike up a bond with customers, and the last thing they want when they get home is a slip telling them to go to the delivery office to collect something that would have easily gone through the letterbox. I’ve been on my currrent round for over two years now, and post specials and recorded stuff literally every day. The customers appreciate me doing this! If it’s someone I don’t know then obviously play it safe and leave a card but that’s very rare.

Yep same, but rarely do it for a special. I got one guy keeps getting recordeds so I got him to put it in writing that I can sign for them. For many in rough areas it’s probably safer than with a neighbour! Still though be careful can lose your job over it

postmanzach · Post by **postmanzach** » 23 Dec 2018, 23:18

clashcityrocker wrote:
Natagora wrote:
I’ve got the customer’s permission, they want me to do this, .
No you don't have the customer's permission.
You should not on a public forum admit you forge the signature for SD items.
You will lose your job sooner or later.
And I hope no one defends you.

I got a written letter from someone on my round and my manager has said that it’s ok for me to sign them and post them through. I sign my name and post them. Is that that bad? How’s it ok to give it to a neighbours they may hate and steal it and deny the signature.

Sir Henry · Post by **Sir Henry** » 23 Dec 2018, 23:34

I bet you my left nut that your boss hasn't countersigned that letter. Deniability.
Just ask him to sign it and see what happens.
If the actual real customer (the sender) knew they'd probably have a good case to present to OFCOM

I can only hope that one of the daily rags doesn't spot this absolute shitshow of a thread.

Post by **aiden01** » 24 Dec 2018, 09:04

postmanzach wrote:
Natagora wrote:If it’s an agreement between customer and postman, and the postman is 100% sure that the item is going to the correct address, then fine, just post it through. Being on a round for some time gives you the chance to strike up a bond with customers, and the last thing they want when they get home is a slip telling them to go to the delivery office to collect something that would have easily gone through the letterbox. I’ve been on my currrent round for over two years now, and post specials and recorded stuff literally every day. The customers appreciate me doing this! If it’s someone I don’t know then obviously play it safe and leave a card but that’s very rare.
Yep same, but rarely do it for a special. I got one guy keeps getting recordeds so I got him to put it in writing that I can sign for them. For many in rough areas it’s probably safer than with a neighbour! Still though be careful can lose your job over it

WHY do it if you know you can lose your job ffs

arnold cheshire · Post by **arnold cheshire** » 24 Dec 2018, 09:21

Never sign for anything simple

itinerant · Post by **itinerant** » 24 Dec 2018, 13:00

I was trained on a few new duties this year and half of the duty holders training me came out with the old "you can sign for their specials as i know them" line.

No chance!! I am not risking my job for someone else. As has been pointed out previously the customer is the sender not the recipient.

I am amazed so many people do this.

Decky Boy · Post by **Decky Boy** » 24 Dec 2018, 14:38

Natagora wrote:If it’s an agreement between customer and postman, and the postman is 100% sure that the item is going to the correct address, then fine, just post it through. Being on a round for some time gives you the chance to strike up a bond with customers, and the last thing they want when they get home is a slip telling them to go to the delivery office to collect something that would have easily gone through the letterbox. I’ve been on my currrent round for over two years now, and post specials and recorded stuff literally every day. The customers appreciate me doing this! If it’s someone I don’t know then obviously play it safe and leave a card but that’s very rare.

You sign for and post Special Delivery Items ! ! ! You are off your rocker mate. I'm fairly sure you'll be ex-Royal Mail by this time next year. Merry Christmas

beanmuncha · Post by **beanmuncha** » 24 Dec 2018, 15:01

Decky Boy wrote:
Natagora wrote:If it’s an agreement between customer and postman, and the postman is 100% sure that the item is going to the correct address, then fine, just post it through. Being on a round for some time gives you the chance to strike up a bond with customers, and the last thing they want when they get home is a slip telling them to go to the delivery office to collect something that would have easily gone through the letterbox. I’ve been on my currrent round for over two years now, and post specials and recorded stuff literally every day. The customers appreciate me doing this! If it’s someone I don’t know then obviously play it safe and leave a card but that’s very rare.
You sign for and post Special Delivery Items ! ! ! You are off your rocker mate. I'm fairly sure you'll be ex-Royal Mail by this time next year. Merry Christmas

I totally agree with Decky Boy, you are mad all you need is one customer to have a bad day and chance their arm and you're sunk, there is no defense
to this. "The customer asked me to" will not stand as it is against RM rules and it is not the person getting the parcel who wants the signature but the one who sent it.
Did you get their permission to sign NO, but it is your job you are risking and also your bank balance.
A colleague of mine on a rural used to sign for his deliveries until one day a customer said "he did not get it" £285.75 that postie had to pay for something he knew was delivered,
but he had no defence as he should not have signed for it even thou he was "doing a good turn", you say 2 years on the run he was 15 years on his

good luck and Happy Christmas please listen to your fellow posties, as the majority are telling you NOT to do it.

ted_e_bear · Post by **ted_e_bear** » 24 Dec 2018, 15:22

redneck wrote:I used to do this, however I am under a 'stage' at the moment related to this. Things can and do go wrong, and if you get a line manager who follows correct procedures you are in trouble. The incident related to a special which I signed for and posted through the letterbox in the belief that, as they were friends of the family, they would be fine with that.
However the communication lines were not what they should be, a member of the family picked it up and put it under a table without telling others, followed by the proper recipient having a message that it had been delivered and going looking for it, not finding it and phoning the seller with a complaint they had not received it. Even if the item is received in the end you can be in big trouble for not following correct procedures.

Exactly the point I made earlier, it's so easy for this scenario to happen !!!!

Natagora · Post by **Natagora** » 24 Dec 2018, 17:58

Look, you can either do this job in the cold, faceless, follow-procedure-to-the-letter manner that so many bores seem to on here, or you can do it with a bit of class, and style, and treat each delivery individually.
I know which way my customers prefer!

Ozzvaldo · Post by **Ozzvaldo** » 24 Dec 2018, 18:05

Natagora wrote:Look, you can either do this job in the cold, faceless, follow-procedure-to-the-letter manner that so many bores seem to on here, or you can do it with a bit of class, and style, and treat each delivery individually.
I know which way my customers prefer!

Did you see my post earlier in this thread? The guy in my office with nearly 40 years service who was sacked for signing for an SD had a similar attitude to you. Everybody where I work are now perfectly happy to put up with being "bores" in exchange for security of tenure.

robbertwhitton · Post by **robbertwhitton** » 24 Dec 2018, 18:31

An agreement between customers and postmen?. Surely not such a thing,but in this climate of doing things correctly and by the letter,there’s plenty of room to open a can of worms on this topic, I’ve seen specials for members of parliament clearly endorsed on the front to be delivered without a signature,as usual those that don’t do it slate the ones that do,and those that do,no doubt do it without a problem

DrSatan · Post by **DrSatan** » 24 Dec 2018, 18:46

Natagora wrote:Look, you can either do this job in the cold, faceless, follow-procedure-to-the-letter manner that so many bores seem to on here, or you can do it with a bit of class, and style, and treat each delivery individually.
I know which way my customers prefer!

They are not 'your' customers.

DrSatan · Post by **DrSatan** » 24 Dec 2018, 18:53

Alot of recipients will be happy to have it signed for and put in a safe place or put through the door. But soon as something goes missing (your luck can run out anytime) then they will make a complaint and you will have to explain why. Which you will face the consequences.

Post by **aiden01** » 24 Dec 2018, 20:34

Natagora wrote:Look, you can either do this job in the cold, faceless, follow-procedure-to-the-letter manner that so many bores seem to on here, or you can do it with a bit of class, and style, and treat each delivery individually.
I know which way my customers prefer!

Won't have much class when something inevitably goes wrong and your joining the dole queue. then you will wish you had been a "bore".